Brick-making machine



(No Model.) I 2 SheetsSheet 1.

" J. H. WILLIAMSON.

BRICK MAKING MACHINE. No. 332,129. Patented Dec. 8, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J..H. WILLIAM-SON.

BRICK MAKING MAUHINE. No. 332,129. Patented Dec. 8,. 1885 1 miness 66 [722/6 7M0?" N PETERS. Phom-mho m ncr, Washinglon. D. C.

JAMES H. IVILLIAMSON, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

BRICK-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,129, dated December 8, 1885.

Application filed March 28, 1885. Serial No. 160,485. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES H.WILLIAMsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick -Making Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to brick-machines, and especially to that class of such machines in which a reciprocating plunger is employed to fill the mold.

The invention consists, broadly, in the combination of a hopper, a pivoted carrier adapted to support a mold. and a movable latch, whereby the said carrier may be held in position.

It consists, further, in the novel arrange ment of'a pair of such pivoted carriers in connection with the latch located between such carriers and adjustable into engagement with one or the other thereof, as will be described.

It consists, further, in a novel combination of the pivoted carrier, the intermediate latch fixed on a supporting-shaft, a reciprocating bar, and teeth on said bar arranged to engage corsesponding teeth on said shaft in such manner as to properly actuate the movable latch into engagement with either one of the pivoted carriers.

The invention consists, further, in other improvements,which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a top plan view, Fig. 3 a rear end view, and Fig. 4 a vertical longitudinal section, of my machine. Figs. 5 and 6 are end views of the mold. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the mold on a reduced scale from that shown in Figs. 5 and 6; and Fig. 8 is a detail view illustrating the connection between the carrier and the knifeoperating device, all of which will be described.

In carrying out the invention it is preferred to employ a base or platform, A, on which to support the several parts, presently described.

The hopper B is supported on blocks 0, interposed between the base and the hopper at or near each end of the base. This hopper is preferably provided with openings B, formed through its front and rear sides at its lower ends. In operation these openings B register with the molds held thereagainst, and the clay is forced through the openings B into the mold by the plunger D. This plunger D, it will be seen, is arranged and operates reciprocally between the openings B, and forces the clay out of said openings as it is operated. This plunger is provided with a rod, D,which extends forward through an opening, D", formed in the clay-box above the front opening, B, and connects at its forward end with the reciprocating bar E. This bar E extends under the clay-hopper for the purposes presently described. It will be noticed that as the bar E is moved back and forth the plunger D will alternately force the clay out of one or the other of openings B, and the clay in the hopper will fall back of the plunger in position to be operated on by its return movement. By thus forming the mold-openings opposite each other and causing both the forward and backward movements of the plunger to fill molds I gain speed over the ordinary brick-machines in which a single opening or set of openings is employed. For this reason I prefer to employ the arrangement shown.

The bar E may be moved back and forth by hand. It is preferred, however, to operate it by means of an eccentrically-pivoted disk, F, operating between anti-friction rollers c on the reciprocating bar. It is usual and preferable to provide this disk with three or more handles, F, by which it may be turned. The operation of this construction may be fully understood from Fig. 1. By it I provide a simple construction by which great force may be exerted on the reciprocating bar and the same may be moved readily back and forth, as desired.

The mold-carriers G are pivoted at G to the front and rear of the clay-hopper. These carriers are adapted at their upper ends, G to support the molds H, and their lower ends are suitably formed at G to be impinged upon the latch I. WVhen the pivoted carriers are adjusted into the position shown to the left of Fig. l, the mold H will be held firmly in regverse shaft, I, and located between the front and rear carrier, so that as it is'moved out of ister with the openings 13 of thehopper. When the mold at the left inZFig. 1 has been filled, the carrier at the right is adjusted into operative position by the change in position of the latch I, as will be understood from dotted lines, Fig. 1, and as each mold is filled its carrier is released, so that the mold may bereadily removed and a new one be supplied in its place. It will be noticed that I form the carriers at the front and rear of the clay-box of two separate blocks, one at each end of the clay-box, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. These blocks are similarly formed, and when used detached a separate latch is employed for each of said blocks, as will be understood. It is manifest, however, that it would involve no departure from my invention to connect the blocks of each carrier rigidly together, so that one latch might serve to clamp the carrier in position.

The latch I is preferably secured on a transengagement with one it may be adjusted into engagement with the other. It will be understood, however, a separate block might be used for each carrier, and that instead of op eratingthe latches automatically inthe manner presently described they may be adjusted by hand into and out of locked position. It will further be understood that instead of employing a lower extension of the carriers and engaging the latch with such extension, as is preferred, the latch may be caused to engage the upper end of the carrier.

In carrying out this last-described modification the latch might be pivoted on the base or otherwise suitably disposed in position to engage the carrier without departing from the broad principles of the invention.

By using the pivoted carrier it will be seen the molds may be quickly removed when filled and a new one supplied.

It will be appreciated that in this machine it is quite an object to quickly removethe bricks from the molds. To such end the molds are formed with bottom boards, H, end boards, H and side boards, H The side boards, H are hinged at their lower ends to the bottom board, H, so that their upper edges may turn outward, as shown in Fig. 6. 1 I

A bar, J, connects the side boards, H near their upper ends. This bar J is provided with cranks J J 2 at its ends, bearing, respectively, on the inner and outer sides of the boards H These cranks have their bearingfaces inclined in opposite directions and serve to clamp the side boards, H against the end boards, H when the bar J is in the position shown in Fig. 5, or to release the boards H when the bar J is turned to the position shown in Fig. 6. It will be understood that when being filled the bar J is turned and the mold held as shown in Fig. 5. In order to release the bricks when the mold has been filled, the parts J are adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 6, and the bricks drop readily from the mold, as will be understood.

The shaft I is provided, in line with thebar E, with gear-teeth or projections 1, arranged with reference to the latch I as will be seen in the dotted lines, Fig. at. On the bar E, I arrange pivoted bars K K,which are provided with teeth K fitted to engage the teeth I on the shaft 1. It will be noticed that the bars K K are arranged one in advance of the other. The adjacent ends of these bars are pivoted to the bar E, and their other or outer ends are supported in keepers, so that they may rise and fall.

In operation the bar K engages the teeth I in the advancing movement of the bar E, and adjusts the shaft to the position sh own in Fig. 4. In this advancing movement the bar K rides over the shaft without disturbing the same. In the return moy'ement the-bar K acts operatively on the teeth I", and adjusts the latch into engagement with the opposite carrier from that engaged in its other position. By this construction thelatch is automatically adjusted and held in position, and such adjustment is simultaneous with the operation of the plunger, as will be seen. I

In order to clear theclay from the front of the mold and between the mold and the hopper, I employ a knife, L. It will be understood that one of these knives is used at each end of the hopper when a double set of molds is used. I will describe but one of these knives and its operating mechanism. I

The knife L is supported on the lower end of frame M, which is held and movable vertically along the hopper. These frames M are connected with a coil-spring, M. attached to uprights B mounted on the hopper. These coil-springs M serve to forcibly elevate the knife when the latter has been released from the carrier.

A rod, lVP, connects with the lower end of the frame M, and dependstherefrom. On the lower end of the rod M is formed a hook, M which engages a pin, 9, attached to the lower end of the carrier G. The rod. M is extended slightly beyond the hook M in position to be engaged by'a rod or pin, N. This rod or pin may be rigidly fixed to the base A, but is preferablypivoted at the end N thereto, with its outer end arranged to engage with the lower end of the rod N and its inner-end in position to be struck by the reciprocating bar E.

It will be understood that I employ one of the rods N for each side and end of the clayhoppers. I have only shown them on one side, which is thought to be a sufficient illustration, as the construction is the same for each side of the hopper.

In operation, when the carrier is adjusted to its position for supporting the mold, its

IIC

quickly draws the knife through the clay, separating that in the mold from that in the hopper. When the carrier turns back,its pin 9 is again caught on hook M so that when such carrier is again adjusted into position for Us mold to be filled the knife will again be drawn below the mold.

It will be understood that the bar E may be provided with a pin or projection at its outer extremity and slightly in front of the bar K, for the purpose of operating the bar N on both the rear and front sides of the hopper.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination of the hopper, the plunger operating therein, the reciprocating bar for operating the plunger, the pivoted carrier adapted to support the mold and latch devices, whereby to clamp the carrier in position, said latch devices being operated by the reciprocating bar, substantially as set forth.

2. In a brick-machine, the combination of a hopper, a carrier pivoted on opposite sides of sa1d hopper and adapted on one side of then pivots to support a mold and provided on the other side of such pivots with a carrierextension, an operating-shaft having a cam or cams whereby to operate the carriers, a plunger, a bar for operating said plunger,and devices whereby to communicate the motion of said bar to the operating-shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in abrick-machine, of a hopper, carriers pivoted to opposite sides thereof, an operating-shaft extended between said carriers, and a cam-latch supported on said shaft and movable alternately into engagement with the opposite carriers, whereby one carrier is released as the other is clamped in position, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the clayhopper, the

pivoted mold carriers, an operating-shaft having latch-cams, whereby to operate the said carriers, gear-teeth on the shaft, areciprocating bar for operating the plunger, and a plurality of sets of teeth on the bar, one set being geared with the operating-shaft with each motion of the bar, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a hopper, a knife movable over the dischargeopening of such hopper, a spring for retracting the knife, a pivoted mold-carrier having a stud or bar connected with the knife and having a hook by which to engage the stud on the carrier, and a trip for detaching said hook from said stud, substantially as set forth.

6. A brick-mold having its sides hinged at their lower edges, combined with a bar connecting the upper edges of said sides and having cranks set at an angle,'substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a hopper provided with dischargeopenings in two of its opposite sides and a reciprocating plunger whereby clay is forced alternately out of the opposite openings, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the hopper having discharge-openings in two of its opposite sides, the plunger operating between such opening and a reciprocating bar provided with rods or arms extended above the discharge-opening in the hopper and connected with the plunger, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with the hopper, the plunger, and the reciprocating bar, of two anti-friction rollers secured on the reciprocating bar and a disk pivoted eccentrically and bearing between such anti -friction rollers, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. WILLIAMSON.

WVitnesses:

A. W. WATERS, M. M. ST. JOHN. 

